gardening

Captain's log, stardate 23264.3:

the smo against squirrels continues......

thought about putting a Ukie flag on the helmet but the bit is funnier if I rep as Ukraine because much like the real war there is no scenario where I win this. They are on the job 24 hours a day 7 days a week and I am not. Now they are digging holes in my herb containers and i dont have any more rabbit fence to spare.

This will be where we grow tomato's and basil this season.

Its probably 7m^2^ of growing area and over 2m in the center so I wont have to duck. We used recycled and natural (aka free) materials for the frame.

So it needs some trimming and I have to build a window but its 85% done. We'll lay down a layer of paper bags, steal a bit of soil from the garden where we've been burying our compost all winter and top it up with some hay and sheep poo. It'll have some shade cloth thrown over it in summer to keep things from cooking.

I'm really happy how its come together and I only got angry and had a fit like a dozen times during the process. Either I am getting better at building stuff or I am getting better at not freaking out and smacking the dirt with a hammer when the slightest thing goes wrong.

Guerilla garden your community NOW. BURN TURFS.

No worries about growing zone, weather, space requirements just your dream garden.

I would love to be able to grow vanilla, they look really cool the flowers smell amazing and having a source of fresh vanilla beans would probably unlock some next level cooking. An olive tree would be cool too, I can eat unlimited olives and making my own oil would be awesome.

This is a spiral broccoli (spiroccoli) it is not ready but I want to eat it. I will wait a few more days. Then in a week or 2 I will have so many of them I will have to give them away.

Socratea exorrhiza, aka "the walking palm"

I’ve converted the bulk of the lawn on my lot back to prairie/woodland opening, and I feel like everyone is much more chill. I now have wasps, yellowjackets, and of course bees amicably buzzing around, in addition to the WASPs telling me how much they like it.

They are growing very nicely. So are the tomatoes. That is all.

150+ pounds so far (that I need to get put in the freezer) and probably another 100 still in the tree.

Went with a variety of coneflowers for color and a few white puff asters to hopefully grow into filler. Picked them both because they’re supposed to do well in hot weather. A lot of things just melt in the southern heat, especially lately.

Also planted a couple little viney bois, we’ll see how they do

https://nitter.net/CCEYates/status/1696891290388967476

I think I'm going to cut a swale in my yard. My septic tank will run chlorinated water out to it, so it'll be pretty wet. Anyone had success planting something like this? I saw some swale specific seeds online, but wondering about personal experience.

Some people leave it low and have water run up to a berm which they'll plant the other side of. Supposed to be nice for watering plants, but I don't think it'll work here.

Also want to try to plant some ditches to prevent erosion. They're real steep and generally have standing water at the bottom. I think I'll have to go with grown plants for that. I can't really imagine I'll be able to keep seeds in there without running off.

I had a volunteer potato in my garden this year so I just let it do its thing (Completely overshadowing all of my corn but oh well). It flowered and now suddenly there are... berries??? I've literally never seen these before, what are these?

Step one: buy some wheatgrass seeds (also known as berries). You can find them at pet stores but health-focused grocers will probably sell them two.

Step two: get a pot with a drainage hole and some potting soil that drains well. If you want you can just grab some dirt from outside (as long as it's not very clay based) and use whatever pot you have on hand, but better drainage will help prevent over watering

Obviously you should have some sort of drip catch on the bottom on the pot if this grass is growing indoors

Step three: put the soil in the pot and don't pack it down at all. Lay a heavy amount of seed on the top layer, and then cover the seed with a paper towel. Use a dedicated water bottle with a mister and keep the paper towel lightly moist.

4: Cover your pot with a little towel or whatever you want. The idea is to keep the seeds in the dark while they germinate. Within a few days you should see the seeds sprouting, at which point you remove the paper towel and whatever you are using to block light and continue to mist, but now directly on the seeds. At this point you need to either leave the seeds somewhere with plenty of direct sunlight, or you need to buy a little USB growlight to keep them happy.

Do not even think of watering until these sprouts reach 5-6 inches of height, just mist them (more heavily over time if you need) to prevent over watering. If it's above 80f where you live you want them inside. 90f and above will kill them outright.

5: Within a week you should have some very aggressively growing wheatgrass. If you are using a growlight... Congratulations! You can now touch grass right at your desk. Take that you smarmy bastards. NO I WILL NOT LOG OUT, YES I AM TOUCHING GRASS.

6: After about two weeks of growth you may find the grass beginning to look less happy. This probably means that your soil doesn't have enough nutrients. Luckily there's this awesome fertilizer called PISS. That's right, just dilute your piss at a 10:1 ratio with water and you'll be giving all the nitrogen those bad boys need (feed them piss maybe once every two weeks, or dilute 20:1 and give it with every watering). Any fertilizer with a heavy nitrogen amount will do well, and generally anything sold for a lawn that's got most of its nutrition base in nitrogen will be great. Fish emulsion works well too, but will not smell good so yeah... Keep in mind.

There you go, now you can touch grass right at the comfort of your desk. Logging off is for smucks. Also, your indoor cat will thank you.

Love the color change

Apparently if it's from the bird feed then it's probably hemp, but what a surprise, lol. I just started looking into CBD so I wonder if I can do anything with it.

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/2645503

Does this count for gardening?
Landlords bad, plants good!

TL;DR: apparently the management at my apartment complex considers plants to be "Seasonal decoration." Here's the email chain:

My landlord: You are in violation of your lease with the condition of your patio/deck area. The only thing allowed on your porch is patio furniture. Correct the issues shown in the attachment ASAP! If you have any questions please contact the property Manager M-F 9 am – 5 pm.

Thank You from our office staff and maintenance team! [Attached photo: My balcony seen from below, showing my one plant.]

Me: I've just re-read my lease agreement and could not find the clause you are referring to. The closest thing I could find is this, from the Community Rules Addendum, Use of Unit and Common Areas:

"3. It is the Tenant’s responsibility to keep balconies and patios in a clean and orderly condition. Storing of cartons, garbage, boxes, appliances, or other visually objectionable items on the patio or balcony is prohibited. Clotheslines or clothes hanging over balconies are not permitted. Hanging clothes and towels out to dry or use of the patio or balcony as a general storage area is not permitted. Seasonal and holiday decorations are not allowed without prior written permission from Landlord. If allowed, seasonal and holiday decorations must be reasonable, must not interfere with or disturb other tenants’ quiet enjoyment of the Community, and must be promptly removed within a reasonable time after the holiday, not to exceed 14 days or as otherwise directed by Landlord. Grilling or barbecuing is not permitted on balconies or patios."

It does NOT say "The only thing allowed on your porch is patio furniture," nor does it make any mention of prohibiting plants. If you are referring to another clause, please let me know.

My landlord: While there is no direct mention of potted plants, they fall under the category of seasonal and holiday decoration.

Potted plants are considered seasonal items not currently permitted by the property manager. If you would like to, you may stop by our leasing office during the week to speak with the property manager regarding the use of unit and common areas.

Me: Plants are not "seasonal and holiday decoration." They are plants. They do not get put away for the winter, they do not celebrate a holiday, they just sit there. All year long. If potted plants are not permitted, then the lease agreement needs to be rewritten to reflect that. The lease which I signed does not prohibit potted plants.

My landlord: If you have any comments or concerns regarding use of unit common areas, please stop by our leasing office to speak directly with our property manager.

Me: If you have any further concerns, please contact me via email. Otherwise, I consider this matter resolved.

Thank you for your understanding

(That last email was sent after closing time. I guess I'll find out tomorrow how that goes over.)

These flashy fuckers are 1.5 meters tall and have these beautiful bright orange flowers on them. The species is "Lilium Lancifolium" or "tiger lilies". The previous owner of our house planted tons of them around the yard and now each year they come back.

I would clone it except I fucking hate Virginia creeper